Circular xnitting machine



A. HARER CIRCULAR KNITTING- MACHINE Aug. 16, 1932.

Filed Oct. 27, 1930' s Sheets-Sheet 1 Jnuazi'of g/guJfe-Harer A. HARER CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Aug. 16 1932.

Filed Oct. 1950 a Sheets-Sheet 2 Invent or Augusf'e Harer Aug. 16, 1932 A. HARER 1,

' CIRCULAR KNIT'fING MACHINE Filed Oct. 27,1950 3 Sheets-Sheet s in 2/0250! Augus fe Harer Patented a... 1.6.1932

UNITE STATES PATENT; orrlca sooner-n or vrn'mm Ln 'cm'rmu, manor:

crncumn x'mrrine momma Application fled October 27, 1980, Serial No. 491,628, and in Belgium November 16, 1929.

The present invention relates to circular knitting machines.

One of the objects of the invention is to, improve circular machines so that openwork (eyelet) designs of any desired -configuration ma be knitted thereon.

ther objects will appear in the course of the detailed description now to be given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which.

Figs. 1 to 6 show various stages in an openwork knitting operation;

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the retaining element for holding back threads; 1 Fig. 8 represents, diagrammatically, means for actuating one or a series of retaining element s.

Fig. 9 shows the cam control for the various retaining elements. 29 Referring to Figs. v1 to 6 of the drawings,

there is shown a series of phases in the kmtting of a fabric including openwork or eyelets on a circular machine. A thread or threads 0, 0 0 c are successively supported by needles of the type d, d to form rows of convex and concave loops (2, a a, 0. and b, 6 etc. Assuming a pair of convex loops 6. b

to be supported on needles d d, before thread is supplied from a convenient source to said needles, a retaining element or transfer point provided with a laterally inclined hooking portion f moves into position between d and d? so that the thread coming from the source lies in 7 while the circular machine rotates. The desired number of loops having been retained durin a number of revolutions of the machine, t e transfer point advances (Fig. 5) until an opening therein h is ositioned over one of the needles e. g. d. lleedle al then rises and, before contacting with thread e, enters opening. k under retained loops a, a a". Transfer point f then withdraws and needle d, passes the ensemble of threads carried thereby above thread e to form a loop (Fig. 6) connectedto the one preceding by the combined threads 1ndicated.

In order to carry out the above operations and, more especially, in order to withdraw transfer point f after it has taken up its position over needle (1, opening h is formed between a air of flexible elements h and h," the flexibility of the latter permitting laterally inclined portion 7 to slide over needle (1 The transfer points are mountedon a plate gositioned near the top of the needle cyliner' (i. e'. adjacent the position where the needles reciprocate vertically) and move radially in recesses formed in the plate under the action of cams driven-by the mechanism actuating the knitting. The plate in question is formed with as many recesses as there are'needles so that, by introducing transfer points at suitable intervals, any desired open work design may be knitted.

The various cams contact with stems i (Fig. 7) integral with the transfer points. Three cams are used: the first 7: (Fig. 9) advances the transfer point until hook f takes up .a position between two needles d and 0?; a second cam then advances the transfer point until openin k is just above needle (1; finally cam retracts the transfer point. Cam is, supported on element Z and cams {0 It supported on element I, may be moved into, and out of, action by displacing elements-l and Z towards, or away from stems 2'. In the prior art devices, stems i were of equal length, so that the openwork design was limited to a series of parallel lines of equal length. In accordance with the present invention, they are grouped in series in which stems of different height are used. The cams will, therefore, displace only cer-' tain stems (transfer points) while leaving the remainder at'rest. For example, if it be desired to produce a knitted article which presents, successively, series of rows of loops traversed by one eyelet then three, then five, then three, and finally one, an assembly of the type shown in Fig. 7 should be employed. For the single eyelets, a transfer point having a stemheight i is used; for three eyelets, stem height 2' (less than 71 is used; for five eyelets, use is made of i lower than both i and i Transfer points of stem height 2', though not necessary for forming a fabric such'as described, may be distributed near the beginning portion of the needle cylinder so 100 as to cooperate with transfer points? 1', i, i to form the design desired.

The supports for cams k, k and k should lowering cam is, i. e. for advancing the transfer points, will be described. Once the transfer point has been displaced by 70 it remains at rest during as many turns of the machine as desired e. g. three turns, when three loops are to be retained. Cams k and k are mounted on a common support I, because the movements efiected thereby follow one another closely. Support Z may be controlled in a manner s milar to support I,

supporting cam 70 and the actuating mechanism for its cams, may be similar'to that for cam 70 Support Z is made in the form of a lever oscillating about fixed axis m. A rod 01. suspended at one end of lever Z is positioned so that its free extremity contacts periodical- 1y with a lever 0 keyed to the shaft of a ratchet wheel 0 actuated through an angle corresponding to a predetermined number of teeth by an oscillatable dog 77 supported on the end of a lever g articulating at g with a. pair of pivotally connected elements 1- 1' levers capable of oscillating about an axis 25 is connected to element 1 and is provided, at one end, with a roller u contacting with a cam '22 rotatably mounted at w. Cam '0 is provided with a recessed portion a positioned so that when roller u rides over the latter,'lever s oscillates, raises 1' and 1- toget-her.- and moves lever g towards the right (Fig. 8). Dog p, thereupon, rotates wheel 0 through an angle corresponding, let us say, to two teeth. moving levers o and n u ward, and lowering cam Game may e driven from the knitting machine motor by anautomatic clutch (not shown) of any de sired current design controlled byhand or by a stop mounted on the chain generally used for stopping, starting and controlling circu-- lar machines.

The above described assembly would sufiice if cam is? were to be moved downward to a predetermined level, but since the downward movements must be effected to different A actuate said cam means.

' one end in a guideway 0: bracket :1: being displaced by a step-profiled cam 31 reacting thereon against the action of a sprin w. Cam 3 is rotatably mounted on a longitudinal- 1y displaceable shaft 2 and may be displaced therewith by hand or otherwise, so as to bring either step y or step 3 into engagement with m, whereby either small (case of contact with 3 'or large (case of contact with if) 'downward displacements of cam 70 be obtained. If an automaticdisplacement of shaft 2 be desired, it sufiices to mount properly profiled cams -(not shown) driven by the machine so as to react thereon.

" What I claim is:-'-'

1. In a circularknittjing machine, .a needle positioned along the cireumference ofacircle, a transfer point, means for'displaeingljsaid transfer point including a cam, a rotatable element operative toj actuate said earn-and.

means for. rotating said rotatable element I comprising a lever, ,a link having a. slot formed therein, means s lidably guided in said slot, a first cam operative to displace one end of said link, and a second'cam operativelgtp displace said means...

2. A structureas definedfin claim 1i:n.c.( !n.- bination with a cam rigidlyconnected-tos'aid first named cam andIpositione'dto he 'actm ated by said first named means;

3. A structure as defined infclaim 1 in'jco'mbination with cam means operative 'to re'; tract said transfer point, and means independ ent of said first namedmeansfpositioned tg 4. A structure as defined inclaim l'in com bination with cam means operative to retract said transfer point, and'me'an's for actuating said cam means including'a cam, arotatable element operative to actuatesaid last name'd cam and means for rotating said rotatable element, comprising alever, a link having-a slot formed therein,fmeans slidably guided in said last named slot, and a cam operative to displace one end of last named link. i v

5. In a circular knitting machine, a needle positioned along the circumference Qof ,a circle, a transfer oint, and means-"for dis:- placing said transfer polnt including a 65 a,; rotatable element operative tolactuatejsaid camand means for rotating said rotatable'eles ment comprising a lever, a link having a 1slot formed therein, means slidably guided said slot, a first cam operative'to displace on'eend of said link, anda second cam having its axis of rotation positioned at .rightangles to that of saidlast named cam, said second cam being operative to 1 J 2. 6. A structure as defined in claim' 5 in com} bination with a spring act in, 1; on said last named means and'opposing the actionof sa'id secondcam. p i In testimony whereof I afii x m signature. AUGUSTE BER...

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